What Makes a Man
by The.Evil.Overlady
Summary: Harry moved to America to start afresh, to put the war behind him, move on and become a journalist. Shame the universe would always conspire against him. This is the story of how he met the Avengers and his life was turned upside down. Again. Rated T for future language. SLASH but no pairing yet.
1. How it All Began

A/N: Summary: Harry moved to America to start afresh, to put the war behind him, move on and become a journalist. Shame the universe would always conspire against him. This is the story of how he met the Avengers and his life was turned upside down. Again. Title inspired by the song of the same name by City and Colour. Rated T for future language.

This is my first story and hopefully I'll actually finish it. =P But please be nice. This is gonna be a Harry Potter/Avengers crossover. Yep, I'm jumping on that bandwagon! And it might be (read; probably will be) slash, so if you're not up to that, run away quickly before we convert you to the dark side. =P Updates are hopefully gonna be weekly.

I've been overwhelmed by your response, so thank you so much guys! You make me a very happy Overlady. =P I've made a few changes in response to some queries you guys have made, so again, thanks for that! =) They aren't essential to the plot so you don't have to read it again, but they'll answer a lot of your questions. I had assumed that you could apply for a Master's degree in the US straight out of college or school or whatever like you can in the UK. Whoops! I'll do my research a little more thoroughly next time.

Disclaimer: Anything you recognise is not mine; unless some nice person wants to give me them. Pretty please, can I have a Harry at least? *puppy eyes*

Beta'd by the amazing Isilarma and incredible princessoffireskies! Thank you both so much! =D

What Makes a Man

Chapter 1 – How it All Began…

The days immediately following the Battle of Hogwarts (as it was being called) were some of the hardest days Harry had ever lived; both physically and emotionally. And for a seventeen year old that particular list was rather long. Due to the sheer number of casualties sustained in the battle, the Hogwarts Infirmary, and therefore Madam Pomfrey, was inundated with patients. That meant that some of the less severe injuries were put to one side until those more seriously injured were stable. And as Harry was never one for admitting he needed help, especially medical help, his sprained shoulder, aching muscles and general fatigue were pretty much ignored. Only the fussing of Mrs Weasley and Hermione kept him from pushing himself too far. _I suppose their concern is warranted,_ Harry thought wryly to himself. _I did just die._

Harry had never seen so much bloodshed, death and destruction in one place before and, the fact that it was in the only place he had ever called home, had shaken him badly. The room off the Entrance Hall that was being used to store the bodies of those killed in the battle reminded him of news reports he had watched through a gap in his cupboard door at Privet Drive on the war in Bosnia and the Rwandan Genocide. Rows upon rows of bodies wrapped in white sheets lay upon the familiar stone floor in front of him. The Death Eaters and those on the Dark Lord's side had been separated from those on the 'light' side. Harry had spent many hours sitting in the room and thinking. Many thought it was not the place for their 'Saviour' to be and tried to shepherd him to more 'appropriate' rooms to 'celebrate'. But those closest to him knew that he needed to think himself out; remember those he knew, mourn those he loved and try to reconcile the stories he'd overheard about lively, happy people to the still corpses that lay in front of him. The words 'what if' became a mantra; _what if I was faster? What if I had trained harder? What if I had started training earlier? What if I killed _him_ faster? Would they still be dead? Or could some of them been saved?_ He felt responsible for the deaths. He knew that they weren't entirely his fault; his fifth year had taught him a lesson on how he couldn't prevent everything. How he couldn't _save_ everyone. _But what's the point in being a Saviour if you can't save anyone?_ He was eventually coming around to the realisation that he had tried as hard as he could. He had killed Voldemort and had lived to tell the tale. But the deaths were still taking a toll on him. How many families had lost someone? A parent? A sibling? A _child?_ How many had been torn apart like the Weasleys? They were one of the humblest, most caring, most loving families Harry had ever known and were the least deserving of something like this. Mr and Mrs Weasley had lost a son. Bill, Charlie, Percy, Ron and Ginny had lost a brother. And George, poor George, had lost his twin, his partner in crime, his other half.

Harry felt connected in some small way to each of the bodies in the room; not only those he had known the best: Fred, Remus, Tonks, Snape, Colin and Lavender but also the fifty others he may have never known, never met. The Death Eaters that lay on the far side of the room, including Bellatrix's still form. They still had families, people who would mourn them. For Harry to accept what had happened and the consequences of such a battle, he knew he would have to talk to their families, hear their stories, thank them for their sacrifice and hope that it would be enough when his was not.

One of the deaths that had affected him the most was Severus Snape's. The man he had always thought he hated. His unconditional love for Lily that had stretched over thirty years was something that Harry hoped he would be able to experience one day. What he felt for Ginny, although strong and passionate, felt like a candle flame compared to the towering inferno that he had felt in Snape's memories. _I wonder if I could feel his emotions in his memories because they somehow _knew_ they would never be experienced again._ Harry shook himself and knew his fatigue was catching up on him if he was wondering if memories were _sentient_. _This is something Hermione would do_, he thought. He stood, stretched and gave a final look around the room before steeling himself to head into the Great Hall. The hero worshipping and constant questions were grating on his already frazzled nerves but he knew he wouldn't have to endure much longer. _I need to get away_; he reasoned as he ambled down the familiar, winding corridors,_ I need a holiday. This place holds too many bad memories now._ Maybe in time they could be rewritten with happier memories but not yet, somehow that would cheapen the sacrifices had been made in the past week, and indeed, past few years.

_I've never been out of the United Kingdom. Maybe I should travel the world, see things, and experience different cultures. Maybe I should ask Bill and Charlie to give me some pointers for places in Egypt and Romania to visit? Should I travel the Muggle way or the wizarding way? Using Muggle methods would be completely different and I think I need that now._ He sighed and returned his attention to his surroundings. Realising he had reached the Great Hall, he took a deep breath in and opened the massive doors before slipping in and heading over to an empty seat at what had once been the Slytherin table. His eyes wandered around the Hall as he ate. Most people in the room were sitting talking quietly in small groups with the occasional person sat on their own lost in their thoughts. A strange sense of solidarity, even calm, had fallen over the Wizarding world now that the battles were over and the dust had settled. It was now up to the politicians and authorities to organise the clean-up and rebuilding of the Ministry, Diagon Alley, Hogwarts, Hogsmeade and various other small towns and villages worst hit by the Dark Lord and his minions.

WMAM

The next month was as emotionally challenging as Harry had expected it to be. He had visited as many families of the victims of the Second Wizarding War as he could. He visited patients in St Mungo's to thank them for their efforts in helping to defeat Voldemort and his Death Eaters and listened to their accounts of their experiences in the War. He attended as many of the Death Eaters and former Ministry employee's trials as he could. He took great satisfaction in the life sentence Dolores Umbridge had been given for her 'crimes against all Wizardkind'. He testified for the Malfoy family and helped to get their sentences reduced to house arrest and hefty fines to "expedite the rebuilding and recovery of the Wizarding World".

The hardest were the funerals; massive public tributes to all those who perished and the smaller, more intimate ceremonies for those he knew. Fred's, Remus and Tonks' and Snape's were the worst. Many people say that only times of great joy or strife can bring a family together and the War was no exception. Harry, Hermione, the Weasleys, Andromeda, Teddy, Neville and his grandmother and Luna and her father had all become much closer through their shared mourning. They tried to help each other cope and to support them through the bad days and the mediocre. George especially was having a hard time of coping; he tried to hide most of his pain with humour but laughing and joking nowadays just seemed wrong.

Although Harry had never had a conventional parental figure to look up to, he was becoming an excellent father to Teddy, according to Andromeda at least. He had discussed his plans with both Andromeda (to find out if she was going to remain in the UK or move with him and Teddy; the latter, she had assured him) and Ginny. That particular discussion had been very difficult for both parties; they had tried to pick up their relationship where they had left off before the war. But the war had changed them and, in Harry's case more than just mentally and emotionally, though he didn't know that yet. Harry and Ginny had both lived through the horrors of war, but Ginny had only experienced one battle. Harry, on the other hand, had seen Voldemort attacking Muggle villages and torturing those captured as well as his own Death Eaters. They had agreed to part ways for the moment and attempt to recover from the war before starting their relationship again if it felt 'right'. If not, they would try to remain friends. Ron and Hermione had been told of the outcome of the discussion and, although Ron wasn't happy that Harry and Ginny were no longer together, he said he understood.

The Ministry had attempted to blame as much as they could on Severus Snape and that was the last straw for Harry. He contacted Xenophilius Lovegood and arranged a press conference. The wizarding world had to change whether they liked it or not. This _could not_ continue.

WMAM

Harry shifted in his seat, looking over the crowds that had gathered to hear him speak. Xeno had warned him that it might be hectic, but he really hadn't thought this many people would be interested in what he had to say. He turned his attention to the slightly dog-eared note cards that he had been shuffling unconsciously and were now hopelessly mixed up. Sighing, he returned them to their proper order and hoped that this would be enough to kick start the changes that desperately needed to be made.

Harry was startled from his stupor when someone dropped into the seat next to him. Looking up and into Luna Lovegood's wide blue eyes, he smiled and the nervous fluttering in his stomach lessened somewhat.

"Frowning attracts Wrackspurts, you know," she joked. Her general air of dottiness had diminished greatly after her torture in the hands of Bellatrix Lestrange at Malfoy Manor. Her blunt, odd phrases and conviction that creatures such as Nargles and Crumple-horned Snorkacks existed had once caused strange looks and rolled eyes. But now they reminded him of much simpler and happier times, of times when his worst problems were homework, detention, Snape's wrath and Voldemort's annual attempt on his life. _I don't think I've ever had normal problems. Okay, homework and detentions aren't that unusual, but a vengeful Potions master and the most powerful Dark wizard since Gellert Grindelwald, both after my blood are not things normal teenagers worry about._ He had stopped trying to be normal long ago, but occasionally the irrational longing for normalcy, for anonymity overcame him.

"Daddy is really looking forward to their reactions. He says the Ministry needs to change unless they want to alienate half of the population. Also the Rotfang conspiracy can't continue; the healers at St Mungo's won't be able to cope with gum diseases at a time like this." Her talk of conspiracy theories had banished the remainder of Harry's nerves and he gave her a knowing look. She merely smiled and thanked him for the exclusive interview Harry had given the Quibbler, her father's newspaper.

"Daddy can't wait to release this issue; he thinks it might sell more copies than your last interview! He's started printing already and he'll put my article in when I get back." Harry had approached Xenophilius ("Call me Xeno!") with an exclusive, no holds barred interview. He thought this would be the best way to shock the public the morning after his little press conference. Xeno had agreed, apologised for trying to give Harry, Ron and Hermione up to the Snatchers in the War and then given Harry a crash course in journalism the 'Lovegood way' to help prepare him for everything the reporters would throw at him. Only once he was sure that Harry could talk his way out of answering the most personal questions without blushing or becoming noticeably embarrassed did he actually interview him.

It went much more smoothly than Harry thought it would and he actually _enjoyed_ himself. _This journalism thing isn't too bad. I guess not all journalists are like Rita Skeeter_. The interview was the strangest mix of serious, heart wrenching recollections from the War to Harry's favourite pair of socks ("The pair Dobby knitted for me for Christmas in fourth year; one red with broomsticks, the other green with Snitches," he explained lifting his trouser legs to show Xeno.) and what his thoughts on the new wizarding gallery that was being built in Diagon Alley ("A gallery? Really? Now?"). But somehow Xeno made it flow and it just _worked_. It would be published tomorrow and the Wizarding World would know everything he had gone through to get to this point and why exactly he needed to leave. He had bared his soul to the other man and in return, received a mentor and a friend. Xeno and Luna's unique take on journalism had made Harry think about it as a career. He had never really thought about what he wanted to do with his life after the War and what he wanted to achieve. He had briefly considered being an Auror, but the War had changed him. He had had enough of chasing 'Dark' wizards and he really didn't want the excitement and thrill associated with the job. His fighting days were over. Harry wanted a more relaxed job, one that didn't involve being attacked or chased. Perhaps journalism wasn't the most glamorous of careers but he didn't want to be famous because his mother and father had sacrificed themselves for him or because he had murdered someone. He wanted to have to work for praise, to climb to the top using his skills, to fight the competition with tooth and nail. Figuratively speaking anyway. Basking in the glory of being the Wizarding World's Saviour was not something his conscience would allow him to do. _I'll travel the world and then think about studying journalism somewhere far away from here. Maybe America or Australia_…

His thoughts were interrupted by Xeno's signal; it was show time!

WMAM

"Well, that wasn't a complete train wreck," Harry sighed. Seeing the confused looks on Ron's and the Lovegood's faces, Hermione took pity on them,

"It's a Muggle phrase. It means a complete mess, a disaster, a catastrophe, a –"

"Hermione, for me this is SNAFU." Hermione giggled at that before explaining,

"Situation normal – all fucked up. Basically, everything's gone wrong but that's normal."

"So Harry's life, then?" Ron supplied. His and Hermione's new relationship status didn't stop her from elbowing him in the ribs before nodding slightly.

"There were a large number of Wrackspurts hovering over the crowd. That may not have helped our cause," Xeno interjected before Ron and Hermione could start bickering properly. "We got our point across; the Wizarding World needs to change and the Ministry needs to catch up with the rest of the world. I admit I'm glad there are others out there that agree with that wholeheartedly."

"Daddy that was the easy bit; even people who _work_ at the Ministry know that. The hard part was getting them to let go of their Saviour and letting Harry live in peace."

"Me and peace have never really got on. I think I scare her," Harry joked. ("Peace and I," Hermione muttered.) "I agree with Luna though; I thought that would be the hardest part to put across to them."

"You could have always told them to 'bugger off', you know, mate," was Ron's contribution, before looking at Hermione quickly to see whether he needed to avoid another elbow to the ribs. She smiled fondly at him and linked their fingers. Ron beamed, partially because of her action and partially because he had gotten off without another bruise for his language.

"And next time I need call a press conference, I'll let you write the speech then, mate."

"Good, good. I look forward to it. But give me a bit of warning, yeah? You know how I am with homework and writing shi- stuff," he corrected himself quickly. The boys' easy banter made both Hermione and Luna smile before they concentrated on the issue at hand.

"I think all the visiting you've done in the past month has shown the public how dedicated you are to them and they might not want to let you go so soon after the War. But on the other hand, the interview will show people that you are a real person too and not just a hero and that'll help us. They'll realise that you need time to heal and recuperate too," Hermione mused. Xeno nodded before turning the conversation to Ron's favourite topic: food.

"Right enough thinking and more eating," he declared.

"A man after my own heart!" Ron exclaimed, dramatically clutching his heart with his free hand. Luna giggled and led them out into the Muggle world to look for somewhere to eat. After finding a small café and ordering some lunch, the conversation again turned to the reactions Harry's words had caused.

"Did you see the look on Rita's face when you told her you'd already given an exclusive interview? It was classic!" Ron chuckled around a bite of a cheese ploughman's and ignoring Hermione's disgusted look.

"Please Ronald, that's the least of our problems; did you see the look on _Ginny's_ face when Harry said he was leaving? And going _alone_? Or the look on Mrs Weasley's face when he said that he wouldn't come back until the Ministry had sorted this country out? Or the look on Kingsley's face when he said that he didn't think that the Ministry was up to the task unless there's a massive upheaval and only people who can actually _do_ their jobs should stay and help?" Hermione tutted. "Really, Rita's nothing anymore. Well, from tomorrow anyway. I can't believe you're actually defending Dumbledore's relationship with Grindelwald. I suppose it may have mellowed Grindelwald a bit but most people still think of it as a betrayal on Dumbledore's part." She turned to Harry and gave him a contemplative look.

"What he did as a teenager ("_Who_ he did," Ron snickered.) and who he may have loved at some point does not stop him being a great man! And the public should not hold that against him. Why is it any of their business anyway?" Harry defended. "Why does Dumbledore's sexuality have any effect on them? I thought the Wizarding World was more open and less homophobic than the Muggle one?" Hermione nodded, already knowing Harry's thoughts on prejudice in the Wizarding World and that he was bisexual. Only four people knew and three were sat at the table (the other being Neville; he really was far too observant for his own good). Harry shot a look at Xeno, who was watching the ceiling with an intense concentration that made Harry look up too. Only to see the ceiling (surprise, surprise!) and he shrugged, assuming Xeno was watching the Wrackspurts that were undoubtedly floating around or keeping an eye out for any rogue Nargles. Harry had gotten used to the strange behaviours and beliefs that both Xeno and his daughter seemed to share after spending a few days with them.

"Let's not get into another discussion on human rights," Hermione sighed.

Suddenly Xeno started and checked his pocket watch before jumping to his feet. "Good gracious me; the Wrackspurts must have scrambled my brain. I have to go and finish off the papers for tomorrow. Make wise life choices!" They said their goodbyes and Xeno hurried off to the Lovegood home which doubled as the Headquarters of the Quibbler.

"Anyway, have you decided where you want to go first, Harry?"

"Umm… Well, I've never been out of the country and I'd like to go as a Muggle, so don't I need some identification or something?"

"A passport," she nodded. "But I'm sure Gringotts would be more than willing to help you out if you ask nicely, apologise for the dragon thing and give them enough gold. They might need to create an entire back story for you, as you've effectively been out of the Muggle world for seven years."

"They do, you know," Luna supplied. At Hermione's look, she continued. "Make a complete history for you; that's what they did for Stubby Boardman. That's why everyone thought he actually _was_ Sirius Black." Ron shook his head and smiled at that.

"Well, I'm sure that'll be easy enough. Where do you want to go, Harry? What about a cruise? Or a tour of the world?" Ron looked up in thought, "maybe all of us could go on one and then go our separate ways for a bit before meeting up somewhere? Then we won't have to traipse around places we don't wanna go. I've already been to Egypt and Romania; Hermione's been to most of Europe and Luna's been to Sweden. We could get Neville to join as well. I don't think Ginny or George would be up for a holiday yet." Luna nodded before raising her head and picking up where her father left off in his search for Nargles.

"That's a brilliant idea, Ron," Hermione beamed as she gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"Always the tone of surprise," he joked. "But seriously, that would be really cool! I really wanna go to that vampire castle thing you were talking about Hermione. And I'd like to go somewhere warm and sit on a beach."

A general consensus was made that a cruise would be a good idea before splitting up and travelling on their own or in pairs would be the best way for everyone to visit everywhere they wanted to go. The group then finished their drinks, paid and went their separate ways; Harry to Gringotts, Hermione and Ron on a walk before heading to the Leaky Cauldron and Luna back home to help her father with the Quibbler.

WMAM

Getting the Gringotts goblins to help him wasn't as hard as he thought it was going to be. He expected them to kick him out on sight, but they only treated him with extreme caution and watched him at all times. The papers declaring him 'Harry Orion Black' hadn't cost much; only 48 Galleons, 11 Sickles and 15 Knuts. The amount he 'donated' to help repairing the damage the dragon had done to the building, on the other hand, was considerably more. He wandered back down Diagon Alley towards the Leaky Cauldron, watching the rebuilding of the Alley and admiring the speed at which everything was done. Most people just wanted their lives to go back to how they were before the War and didn't want to be constantly reminded of the horrors that had occurred in their beloved Alley. Once reaching the Leaky Cauldron, Harry passed though the archway and headed over to the booth in the corner where he knew Ron and Hermione would be waiting for him. After giving them plenty of warning that he was coming (a loud cough), he dropped into his seat and ignored their red, swollen lips, messy hair and rumpled clothes. _I glad their relationship is going well, then_, he chuckled to himself. He took a sip of his Butterbeer to give them time to make themselves presentable before putting it down, looking up and smirking at them.

"Oh, stop it Harry," Hermione said blushing. "Let's go and book a holiday!" Ron still looked slightly uncomfortable that Harry would be paying for both him and Ron, as Hermione, Luna and Neville were paying for themselves. It had taken much convincing on Harry's part and only when he had said, "I'll use Sirius' money, he'd definitely approve of us travelling around the world and having fun when everyone else is slaving away and helping to sort out the Wizarding World," had Ron relented. Hermione rolled her eyes and stood up, dragging Ron with her. She led them back out into Muggle London and led them to a travel agents. Once inside, Harry and Ron let Hermione do all the talking.

WMAM

An hour later and they had booked a round-the-world cruise for them, Neville and Luna leaving in 3 days and lasting about fifteen weeks. Hermione then declared that they each needed an entirely new wardrobe, new suitcases and a Muggle mobile phone ("A what?"). When they'd finally finished shopping, Harry and Ron both swore to never go shopping with Hermione again and they headed back to Grimmauld Place to pack. Two floo calls later and Neville and Luna were both up to date on holiday details.

WMAM

The next morning dawned quietly and peacefully for many until they received their daily copy of the Quibbler. Then all hell, and most of Purgatory, broke loose. Harry had already asked Kreacher to filter his mail that he would undoubtedly receive and had offered the elf's services to the Lovegood's, who had declined saying that they would feed the letters to the Umgubular Slashkilter that lived at the bottom of their garden. Harry had just nodded, used to them by now. Harry stayed inside all day and refused to visit any Wizarding communities before leaving for his long overdue holiday.

WMAM

Two months later and Harry, Ron, Hermione, Neville and Luna were somewhere between Cairns, Australia and the island of Guam in the Coral Sea. They had sunbathed, swam in the ocean (a first for Harry) and shopped in completely new countries for presents for their families. Being away from the constant reminders of the War was doing wonders for them. And the gorgeous weather didn't hurt either. Sometime in the first month, Harry began to finally relax and just enjoy life. He spent considerable amounts of time talking to Luna about the Quibbler and her role in helping her father run a newspaper. During the War, the weekly paper had been changed to daily to try and keep the public up to date with the names of those missing, wanted by the Ministry and those presumed dead. It was something that Luna and Xeno had not enjoyed at all, but as the Daily Prophet was under the Ministry's thumb, and therefore Voldemort's, the public needed somewhere to find out the truth of what was happening. It fell to the Quibbler, as the only other national Wizarding newspaper, to deliver. And deliver it did. Apparently the number of subscribers had shot up and Xeno had to buy more printing presses to meet the demand. Xeno had even employed a few former Daily Prophet journalists (not Rita Skeeter, of course) to help him fill the pages.

Harry had started to seriously consider journalism as a career. He would much prefer write the articles than be the subject of them that much he was sure of. But whether he was any good at writing remained to be seen. Luna's constant tips and anecdotes left him feeling motivated and he had decided he would look for a journalism course in the US to start when he returned from the cruise.

Hermione had been trying to completely immerse the group in Muggle society and had been attempting, with varying degrees of success, to teach them how to use Muggle technology. Ron and Neville had been baffled at how Muggles could make a device that would allow them to talk to each other from anywhere on the planet without the use of a fireplace. Luna had taken to it like a duck to water. Harry, on the other hand, kept remembering how Dudley had destroyed many his possessions and then chuckling to himself at the most inappropriate moments. When Hermione was trying to explain what a 'PlayStation' was ("It's nothing to do with trains, Ronald!"), Harry had burst out laughing remembering when Dudley had put his foot through his television after losing a game, briefly earning him some weird looks before Hermione returned to her impromptu lesson.

When they arrived in Hong Kong at the end of the tenth week, Hermione had deemed all of them 'adequate Muggles' and then unleashed them into the Temple Street Market and Golden Shopping Arcade to 'stock up on tech' as Harry had put it. After spending most the money Hermione had exchanged for them, Harry, Ron and Neville headed back to Temple Street to meet up with Hermione and Luna, who had spent the day shopping for clothes for them all in the Ladies Market and had filled their bags with their shrunken purchases. They ate and then made their way back to the cruise ship to crash for the night.

WMAM

The last five weeks of the cruise seemed to fly by and in, what seemed like no time at all, they arrived in Venice and were saying their goodbyes. Hermione had convinced Ron, with a look that Harry wanted to know nothing about, that they should go on a tour of all the historic places that she wanted to visit as a child. Neville and Luna wanted to visit habitats around the world that were home to either Luna's creatures or rare plants that Neville wanted to examine. Harry, however, was doing a Hermione and going to college. He was flying to America to sit his SAT's before applying for a Bachelor's degree in Journalism at Boston University in Massachusetts. He was immensely looking forward to starting his new life in a new country and wondered just what else the universe could throw at him.

- END OF CHAPTER -


	2. The Meeting

A/N: Right, so when I said 'updated weekly' I was being entirely too optimistic. Updates are probably gonna be every other week at least. This is slightly shorter than Chapter 1 and the rest of the story will be in random sized chapters. Sorry. ;)

I've been completely overwhelmed by your response to my story, so thank you so much guys! I've been attempting to reply to your reviews, but life is a bitch and won't let me on my laptop for very long. And what little time I have is usually spent writing or editing the crap that ends up on the screen. If you've had a reply to your review, you are very lucky! And those that haven't, you've either reviewed anonymously and I can't reply; or I'm a lazy shit and haven't got to yours yet. ;) I'll stop rambling now…

Beta'd by the incredible princessoffireskies! Thank you for putting up with the masses of emails from me! ;)

Disclaimer: As usual, anything you recognise is not mine; unless some nice person wants to give me them. Pretty please, can I have a Tony at least? *puppy eyes*

Chapter 2 – The Meeting

The next nine years saw Harry complete (and ace) his SATs before starting, and subsequently, finishing his Journalism Bachelor's degree in three years and then completing a Master's degree in a year and a half. He graduated from Boston University in January 2004. He then worked his way up through the ranks at The Boston Globe. He lived with Teddy and Andromeda (Auntie Andy to Teddy, NOT Grandma) in a large Georgian-style house on Beacon Hill in Boston. Harry loved it; the narrow, cobbled streets lit by gas lamps at night, the massive park nearby that he and Teddy loved to play in and the short commute to work for when he wanted to take the subway instead of apparating.

Andy had enjoyed converting the slightly dilapidated house into a perfect home for them so much that she had started buying houses in the surrounding area, 'doing them up' and then selling them on for a profit. As Andy had no fulltime job and doing up houses was more of a hobby than anything else, she found that she had much more free time on her hands than she was used to. To fill this free time and to meet some normal people, she decided to put some of the Black fortune to good use and started donating to the Horizons for Homeless Children charity. The charity aimed to improve the lives of homeless children by giving them an education and a place to play and live. Over the years, she became more involved in the charity and soon enough she was organising and hosting conferences, fundraising events and galas; all of which Harry and Teddy had to attend.

Although he was only nine, Teddy had finished elementary school two years ago and was currently in the eighth grade at the Boston Latin School. He had taken after Remus, much to Harry's amusement, and was an avid and very intelligent student; a child prodigy even. He had inherited his parents' brains and his mother's easy-going attitude along with her Metamorphmagus abilities, the best combination in Harry's opinion.

Harry and Andy had taken to teaching Teddy some simple spells and charms using Harry's Holly wand but once he had found, and promptly devoured, Harry's old Hogwarts textbooks, he had tried to teach himself. It wasn't until a small explosion echoed around the house one evening that Harry and Andy found out. They had rushed to the young boy's room only to find the walls and ceiling covered in murky green gunk, with the occasional dollop dripping down from the ceiling.

Apparently Teddy had tried to brew a fifth year potion (though he wouldn't specify which one) and had forgotten a half stir, thus causing the explosion. Harry snorted, _only Snape would make fifteen year olds brew a potion that an explosion could be caused by the smallest lapse in attention._ Teddy had missed most of the potion that had been splattered around the room by hiding underneath his desk. There was a small blob of the murky green potion on his arm that caused the skin underneath to turn blue. This had fascinated him and after he had turned the rest of his skin electric blue to match, he tried to study the potion to find out if the effects were permanent, so he could get George back for the more embarrassing pranks of his. Harry and Andy had smiled fondly at him and made him promise not to brew any more potions or try any new spells without their supervision.

"Just in case," Andy had assured him. "We're not going to stop you learning, but if you carry on at this speed, you won't need to go to Hogwarts at all." Harry beamed proudly at his son and gave him a bear hug that left Teddy blushing. Even with the amount of praise that both Harry and Andy showered him with, he was still very humble and blushed at each compliment.

One evening after Harry had returned home from a hard day at work, he had caught Teddy on his (password protected) computer acting suspiciously. He had left the matter be and, later that night, checked the internet history that Teddy had forgotten to erase; he had been reading the news reports on the Dr. Bruce Banner case (although his name hadn't been released to the public) and begun researching gamma radiation. Harry assumed he'd also read the article he had submitted four years ago on the same subject, which had landed him his current job. _I bet he's worked out what actually happened just from reading the reports. This is what I get for raising a genius,_ he mused fondly.

Their dysfunctional little family settled into a fairly normal routine; Harry would take Teddy to school before heading to work. Andy would spend the day helping with her charity and then pick Teddy up from school or a friend's house. The evenings were usually spent with Harry and Andy helping Teddy with his Latin homework (the only subject which he actually struggled with and the only Muggle subject in which both Harry and Andy could help him with) and then teaching him magic. He had progressed fairly quickly and by his tenth birthday was performing O.W.L. standard magic with absurd ease.

Ron, Hermione, Neville and Luna kept in touch via mirrors very similar to the one Harry had smashed at the end of his fifth year. Ron and Hermione visited every couple of months, until last year when Harry returned to England for the fifth time since leaving for the cruise almost a decade ago, to witness the birth of his god-daughter, Rose Weasley. Hermione was expecting again, a boy this time. Ron couldn't wait to teach him to ride a broom and play Quidditch and to have someone else in the house that would support the Cannons, as Hermione refused to get into any Quidditch 'discussions' with any of the Weasleys.

The first time Harry returned to England had been for Ron and Hermione's wedding in the summer of 1999. Ron's stag party had involved entirely too many shots of an unknown alcoholic substance (courtesy of George) and some rather disastrous practical joke testing (also courtesy of George). Hermione had looked radiant, Ron couldn't keep his eyes off her and Molly had outdone herself with regards to the decorations around the Burrow. Harry's best man speech had left tears in Hermione, Ginny and Molly's eyes and, as much as Ron wanted to deny it, Harry knew that his complaints of suddenly developing hay fever were a (very bad) cover for his tears.

Neville and Hannah Abbott's wedding the year after, shortly followed by Luna's marriage to Rolf Scamander (a fellow magizoologist that Neville and Luna had met on their travels and great-grandson of the famous Newt Scamander) had also seen Harry return to Britain.

George and Angelina's wedding had been a quiet and bittersweet day. There was no best man as George refused to give away Fred's rightful part in his marriage ceremony. Many said they had felt Fred's unmistakable hyper energy, while some claimed to have seen a faint image of Fred standing next to George at the altar, smiling as George and Angelina said their vows.

Ginny had started seeing Dean Thomas about a year after Harry left and he was almost glad as he knew that Molly would try and persuade them to get back together. Ginny and Dean had announced their engagement just before George's wedding but neither were in a rush to get married. Ginny was a Chaser for the Holyhead Harpies and Dean had made a name for himself in the Wizarding art world, which meant he locked himself away during the run up to any of his exhibitions. This, along with Ginny's touring, meant that Harry didn't see either of them as much as he would have liked to.

The Weasley family accompanied by the various partners and spouses had visited the Black house in Boston within the first few years of the small family living there but after seeing her husband's reaction to the Muggle appliances within the house, Molly had refused to bring him back.

"Why do we need to buy something that does the same job as a simple household spell when the spell is much easier?"

"But Molly, have you _seen_ it? It cooks food from the _inside_ first!" Arthur exclaimed pointing at the microwave sat on the counter in the kitchen.

"It cooks from the inside _first_? How does that work then?"

"It generates non-ionising microwave radiation that causes water, fats and various other molecules within the food to oscillate as they try and realign themselves with the alternating electrical field of the microwaves. The molecular vibrations disperse the energy and therefore heats the food. Technically, microwaves don't cook the food from the inside first; they cook from the highest concentration of water molecules," Teddy explained, much to the confusion of Arthur and Molly.

"Basically, any water in the food gets boiled and it heats it up."

Over the three weeks that the Weasley's stayed, Teddy had become used to explaining things in the simplest way possible to avoid confusing them. Not that it always worked, but he tried.

WMAM

The charity fundraiser of Andy's that stood out the most to Harry was the 2008 Annual Spring Gala. Andy had been even more excited about the gala than she normally was; which should have tipped Harry off that something was different this year but he suppressed the feeling and helped her to prepare.

Once there, Andy was swept off to deal with any problems that would undoubtedly arise, leaving Harry and Teddy to their own devices; a mistake on any normal day, but especially when they had been told to behave or 'Voldemort will seem like a kitten compared to what Andy would inflict upon them', a standard threat in their house. That threat had been enough to keep their more mischievous sides at bay for a few hours but the constant small talk and 'meeting and greeting' was taking its toll on Teddy. Harry was about to resort to giving Teddy the latest edition of Scientific American to keep him amused, when he heard Teddy gasp.

His hand unconsciously flew to his concealed wand and he lowered slightly into a defensive crouch as he pushed Teddy behind him. He turned to look into the direction Teddy was still staring in, only to see that there was no threat and nothing that would warrant Teddy's reaction. He turned back to Teddy to ask what the matter was.

"Teddy, are you okay? Did you see someone you recognised? Did you see one of _them_?" The words 'Death Eaters' were left unsaid as the Muggles surrounding them would overhear and probably question their sanity, more so than usual anyway.

"It's him, dad. It's _him_!" Teddy exclaimed pointing to the back of a man's head and pulling on Harry's suit jacket. The head in question was covered in short, well groomed dark brown hair. The man at the bar turned to the side slightly to order and Harry saw a familiar profile, and, though he couldn't place the man, he had definitely seen him before. Judging by Teddy's reaction, he was probably a famous scientist or a genius of some sort.

"I've seen him before, haven't I?" Harry enquired.

"In person? And you didn't tell me?" Teddy cried.

"Not in person, I don't think. Who is he?"

"Who is he? _Who_ is he? He's only my idol! That's Tony Stark! He's a genius; he graduated MIT at like 17 with highest honours!"

"Oh, of course. Do you want Andy to introduce you? He might be the reason she was so excited earlier; they'll get an entire year's funding tonight."

"Do I? Dad, what have I told you about rhetorical questions?"

"Cheeky brat," Harry teased, before motioning Andy over, who had surreptitiously been watching them since she had sensed Harry tense a few minutes previously. She excused herself before heading over to them and smiled when she noticed where Teddy was still staring.

"Ah. You've seen him, then? How would you like to meet him?" Teddy gave her the same look he had given his father not a minute ago.

"Come on, then." She shepherded them in the direction of the bar where Stark was still standing. She smiled as she saw the look Harry gave him; one of her plans might work after all.

"Excuse me, Mr. Stark. I don't believe we've met. I'm Andromeda Tonks and this is my Grandson, Teddy Black, and his father, Harry Black," she smiled as she shook his hand before Harry and Teddy repeated the action.

"Tony, please. Mr. Stark was my father. And I think Pepper may have mentioned you…" At Andy's confused look, he elaborated.

"My assistant, Pepper Potts."

"Of course, we spoke earlier. And please call me Andy."

At that point, Teddy could no longer keep silent and blurted out.

"It's an honour to meet you, sir. I'm a huge fan of your company's arc reactor technology; I've been trying to replicate it but apparently, 'it's too dangerous for a ten year old to mess around with.'" Harry and Andy both rolled their eyes fondly at the familiar argument.

"And until I can fully understand it or there's an expert on hand, it will continue to be too dangerous," Harry quipped. Tony watched the interaction with interest.

"You understand how it works then?" He asked Teddy. "That's pretty impressive. And I thought I was a genius." Teddy blushed crimson, causing the adults to chuckle. Teddy recovered quickly the only way he knew how; using science and technology as a shield.

"Well, of course. It's only a basic fusion reactor; it's the energy output that impressed me so much. Surely the output would be in discrete bursts of energy as opposed to a more uniformly distributed energy output. How did you get the energy output so stable and uniform?"

"I like you, kid. You have a cool accent and you know your stuff. You kinda remind me of myself at your age, but with less explosions and destruction," he mused. Harry snorted indelicately.

"Oh, he creates plenty of explosions and if I didn't know any better I would have thought his middle name _was_ destruction."

"And you don't exactly discourage him either, young man," Andy chided. "The last major explosion was _your_ fault, if I remember correctly." Harry scratched the back of his neck in embarrassment.

"Not _entirely_ my fault. And besides, what's the use in having a reinforced basement if you don't test it every now and then?"

Tony chose that moment to remind them of his presence,

"I like all of you guys, but I'm gonna need another drink before I talk shop with you, kid. If you grab a table, pen and paper, you can show me your calculations."

"I'll get your drink. What are you on?" Harry inquired. He left after receiving an answer (the best scotch the bar had) but not before spotting the knowing look Andy shot his way. He rolled his eyes in her direction.

Harry returned with a glass of scotch each for him and Tony, a glass of wine for Andy and a coke for Teddy. He set the drinks on the table, receiving nods of thanks and a smile from Tony, pulled a chair up next to Teddy's and tried to make sense of the mass of numbers, letters and Greek letters covering Teddy's notebook. Harry could usually keep up with Teddy's explanations but he could tell the boy was showing off for his idol and he could only understand one word in ten. He smiled at Andy's long suffering look, who usually tried to stay away from the boys when they were discussing science.

"And to think I usually understand this," he joked to Andy. Tony looked up from a particularly long equation at that.

"Are you a scientist or an engineer? I don't recognise your name but I generally don't read research papers unless I'm really bored."

"Um. Neither, I'm the Health and Science Editor at the Boston Globe. I was considering doing a correspondence science degree but I really didn't want to keep on studying. Plus I've read enough over the years to keep up with Teddy."

"Not really keen on reporters unless they're cute. And you definitely fall into that category," he mused, looking Harry up and down. Even Xeno's training almost ten years previously couldn't prevent the blush that spread across his cheeks

"Yes. Well. Um. Anyway, what are you two working on then?" Harry attempted, and failed, to recover. Andy giggled behind her hand at his poor attempt.

"I was just showing Teddy that if you change the number of cycles per second and use ionised plasma channels to funnel the energy around the reactor, the energy output stabilises and becomes usable."

"Okaaay, I understood part of that, but how in Mer- God's name does changing the cycles per second affect the stability of the energy released?" Tony shot him a strange look at his slipup.

"Surely, increasing the rotations would increase the energy output? How does that stabilise it?"

"It increases the frequency of energy bursts so much that the energy released is a constant stream," Tony explained.

At that point, Andy was called to help sort out a donation and Harry chuckled at the relief in her eyes. In her opinion, science conversations between Harry and Teddy were complicated and confusing enough. The conversation between Teddy and Tony, on the other hand, required either a Doctorate or a functional knowledge of thermonuclear physics to understand. Neither of which she had. Harry began to phase out when the conversation veered into quantum theory, how valid the Uncertainty principle was and where it could be used most effectively.

The evening progressed smoothly and surprisingly quickly for Harry; he left Teddy with Tony discussing Krasnikov tubes and went to greet some of Andy's friends and colleagues. Without having to prevent Teddy from keeping his nose in a science journal, the evening was rather enjoyable. And Teddy was certainly enjoying himself, which was a first for him.

That was the first time he met Tony Stark and, he would realise later, the catalyst for the utter insanity that would follow. Just knowing Tony Stark and being allowed to 'play' in his research and private labs was crazy enough. But was nothing compared to the utterly bat shit crazy months and years that lay ahead of the Black family and Harry especially.

WMAM

A/N: If anyone has any recommendations for any good Harry Potter or Avengers fics, send them this way please. I don't like trawling through the okay fics to find the gems, I'm lazy like that. ;) Thanks! =)


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